Why Windows 8 Keeps Asking for Permission

Like Windows versions before it, Windows 8 serves up both Administrator and Standard user accounts. The Administrator account, meant for the computer’s owner, holds all the power. Holders of Standard accounts, by contrast, aren’t allowed to do things that might damage the computer or its files.

But no matter which of the two accounts you hold, you’ll occasionally brush up against the Windows 8 version of a barbed-wire fence. When a program tries to change something on your computer, Windows 8 pokes you with a message.

Standard account holders see a slightly different message that commands them to fetch an Administrator account holder to type in a password.

Of course, when screens like this one pop up too often, most people simply ignore them and give their approval — even if that means they’ve just allowed a virus to settle comfortably inside their PC.

So, when Windows 8 sends you a permission screen, ask yourself this question:

Is Windows 8 asking permission for something you did or requested? If your answer is yes, then give your approval so Windows 8 can carry out your bidding. But if Windows 8 sends you a permission screen out of the blue, when you haven’t done anything, click No or Cancel. That keeps potential nasties from invading your PC.